Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1539444
1. What's been the most defining moment in your career so far? Rather than one specific moment that was pivotal, I think that over the years, I have slowly become less and less pressured to make work that easily fits into a specific genre. While this is not necessarily a defining moment in terms of a painting career, it is definitely a defining moment for an artist in their journey of self-expression. It is some- thing that has allowed me to be more authen- tic and be able to derive more satisfaction out of my work. That being said, this exhibition would have to be the biggest achievement thus far. I feel that everything about the work is intentional (from the painting technique to the subject matter), and it has allowed me to express sentiments that would otherwise be very difficult to express. It is a project that required shutting out of the world at the beginning to establish a quiet environment, and only then did the words and images start to become clearer. I had never spent a year in introspec- tion before, and it truly changes a person. I think it allows you to become more and more who you were always meant to be. 2. As an artist, how do you navigate the world and speed of social media? For me, social media is primarily a great tool to witness the world, get inspired and learn. I try to curate my feeds as much as possible because I like to be somewhat in control of what I see. It can really help with feeling vali- dated as an artist sometimes. When you come across artists who paint very niche subjects and see that there is a community for them too, it is very heartening. I admit that I am predominantly a consumer of social media rather than a contributor. Some- thing about posting consistently makes me feel like I am a product, and that is something that is very far from how I see myself. I keep on making New Year's resolutions that I will post more fre- quently, and I never stick to them. Speed is for the news, not for my work. I do not dispute that social media is a fantastic tool for artists, but I prefer to spend my time doing other things. I often end up opting out of the social media game altogether and navigate the world a little bit more old school. When I posted more frequently, I didn't like what it did to me. It was all about how many people engaged with a post, and it was never enough. If I gave it another go, I would go into it differently this time around. I would definitely not overthink as much as I used to. 3. Do you consider artificial intelligence a threat to your career, or an opportunity? I think it depends heavily on whether one is to consider an artistic career as being the production of images or the production of art. While artificial intelligence is definitely a threat to many creatives, I think that human connection is still one of the primary reasons people are attracted to art (both as creators and viewers). Humanity has made a commod- ity out of practically anything. Process and interaction are often pushed behind the scenes and we are presented with neatly packaged products. While this can work fantastically for many things, it definitely does not work for everything. If you want to own a bonsai, you can go out and buy one, but you would have deprived yourself of the years of training the tree into a bonsai, and in the process, you would have missed out on a lot. No overcoming challenges, fewer skills and there is no longer any sense of achievement. Or, you can definitely go through the effort of learning how to make a great coffee but you can just as easily pop a pod into a machine that makes it for you. Yes, you technically have the end product but not the ritual. AI is the same in my eyes. A poem, no matter how beautifully composed, dies and becomes hollow if I learn it was AI-generated. There is no longer a human connection with the poet. I can no longer wonder what that person was going through when they wrote it. Time and effort give legitimacy to the work. Art, or rather, the art I look for, requires these qualities. In this way, I do not consider AI as being a threat to me personally. It exists, and it can be a useful tool sometimes but nothing can replace the human artifact. 4. How do you stay motivated and inspired, especially during tough times or when the work feels hard? I draw and paint consistently. I have hours set aside every day where I paint, whether I am motivated or not. Painting is very often only the execution and not the expression itself. If you don't sit down and do the work, it will never get done. So, for me, it was a matter of building it into my daily routine. It definitely wasn't easy at the beginning but once you get used to it, it stops being work in a sense. Once I stopped depending so much on motivation to paint, I started to require less and less of it. Sometimes, to take a break from painting, I end up painting something else. What I mean is, there is a world of difference between execut- ing a work and messing about with paint and having fun. Both are valid, of course, but for me there is definitely painting for fun and working, even though they might seem exactly the same from the outside. Having friends who are also artists helps immensely too. They are often a great source of encouragement and energy. I take breaks from inspiration. I tend to get very engrossed in a theme and it gets in the way of doing the things that need to get done. As funny as it might sound, I do close myself off to new ideas every now and again but I can also do the opposite. If motivation is about doing, inspiration is about stillness for me. If you are able to quiet yourself and listen and look and digest, something will happen. We talk a lot about the artist's voice but for me, inspiration is a response; a reply as part of a conversation. 5. How do you balance your creative instincts with the expectations of your audience or collaborators? We are often our own harshest critics. This is often seen as a negative trait but if you keep it in check, it can be a very liberating exercise. If you hold yourself to a higher standard than is expected, then the audience's expectations are met, in a way. I also think that art lovers are extremely well-versed and are able to interpret pretty much anything you exhibit. That is, they understand different modes of expression and in that sense, the expecta- tions aren't a source of pressure for me. Being able to edit your own work is an important skill. There is a time to be creatively experimental and hash out your ideas but when you sit with your ideas for a while, you get bored of some while others hold your at- tention a bit longer. In this sense, being your own harshest critic becomes very useful, I think. In this sense, I sort of feel that I am free to paint whatever I want without too much worry for audience expectation. Collaborators are even more fun for me. There is an actual conversation happening, a bouncing of ideas and an element of sponta- neity that I really enjoy. Letting go of some of the control can be quite thrilling for me. 6. How do you approach a new project? Do you have a specific process or routine you follow? I wander into new projects. If I find myself thinking about the same thing over and over naturally over a long period of time and then whatever I encounter; whether it's reading or music, or anything I seem to inadvertently stack it against that one thing that's preoc- cupying me. 'Concept' might be too big of a word sometimes. It can be a feeling that you're chasing or an aesthetic that you want to create but it doesn't always have to be a big concept per se. Everything is relatively abstract at the begin- ning. A few thoughts sort of forming an idea and a few sketches and doodles. Nothing is really structured. Then, the structure emerg- es naturally, I think. The ideas become clearer and there is an impulse to pursue something to its completion. That's when it turns into a project and I think I'm pretty systematic with the way I go about it usually. I like to work from sketches to relatively finished drawings and then start painting. I like being able to see everything laid out before I start painting. 7. Can you let us in on some of the future projects, works? I am currently really interested in what the future looks like in the minds of the younger generations. I remember being a child in the 90s with quite a clear idea of what even the clothes or music were going to be like. Now there is a sense of nostalgia for the future I thought was going to come about that didn't. It still exists in my generation's collective mind, I think and I think it's interesting to have the sort of dialogue of what the collec- tive idea of the future is nowadays, if it exists at all. I am also really interested in the things we grow up thinking are normal and are accept- able. My childhood was all fields with discard- ed washing machines and tyres built into the rubble walls. Malta has since become much cleaner but I have a romanticised image of it in my mind. Yes, hindsight is 20/20 but it would be interesting to see what we should strive for today instead of a decade from now. maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 SEPTEMBER 2025 Film Island of Oblivion to premiere at Prifest - Prishtina International Film Festival PAGE 2 Art WENS: Comfortable Silence, by Rebecca Bonaci PAGE 3 ARTS • TV • WHAT'S ON BY LAURA CALLEJA suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt The Q & A ERIC ATTARD 7 questions for... Extra round Who are your biggest influences, and how have they shaped your work? My first three biggest influences growing up were Mark Ryden, Odd Nerdrum and Dali. They presented something very real in terms of ar- guments and sentiments expressed in a very fantastical way. That has remained something I aim for. Nowadays, I look at Gustave Moreau and the Pre-Raphaelites very often for their ability to evoke a sense of magic and the Italian Renaissance for technique. Eric Attard is an artist whose work explores the nature of personal mythologies, those inner narratives people construct to make sense of the world, whether through talismans, superstitions, nostalgia, or fantasy. MaltaToday is supported by Arts Council Malta